In the player village of Hangzhou University, a woman in her thirties had just finished organizing her room when, just as she was about to leave, a knock on the door sounded.
"Dean Meng, are you there?"
Meng Yu opened the door and looked at the school team member named Qin Xiaoli, answering warmly, "Qin, what's the matter?"
"There's someone named Fang Yuan outside looking for you... He says he's a friend of Senior Li Shu..." Qin Xiaoli spoke softly.
Although she had never heard of Senior Li Shu, Fang Yuan didn't seem like he was lying.
The most important thing was no one would go out of their way to fool around with a master for no good reason.
"Fang Yuan?" Meng Yu didn't remember the name, but she did know Li Shu.
Li Shu was her junior by ten batches, a former Hangzhou school team captain who stayed on for seclusion after graduation; it's said he's recently gearing up for a professional assessment. With Li Shu's talent, passing the assessment shouldn't be difficult.
With this thought, Meng Yu smiled and said, "Okay, I got it."
Although she verbally agreed, Meng Yu was still puzzled. Li Shu's friend? What did he want with her... and in this place?
...
Fang Yuan was still waiting outside.
At that moment, Fang Yuan was making small talk with Qin Xiaoli's boyfriend, Zhang Huai.
"Brother Fang, what do you need from Dean Meng?"
"Uh, nothing important really." Fang Yuan replied, a bit embarrassed.
Fang Yuan indeed felt somewhat awkward; after all, showing up unannounced to challenge a senior wasn't his forte.
It is said that Xu Haoran, the Fighting Type King from the Extreme Martial Arts stream, once represented his style to challenge all the Master Trainers of the Fighting Series Dojos across the country. Through his journey of challenges, with victories and defeats, he finally joined the King's tournament to become one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and at that time he was only in his twenties.
There are also stories of Trainers on the Road of Champions visiting various universities to challenge the professional mentors, accumulating battle experience, and ultimately becoming legends as substitutes in the world championship.
It was hearing about these legends that made Fang Yuan determined to do the same. If others could do it, so could he.
Before long, Master Meng Yu, the elegant and graceful young woman, came down the path led by Hangzhou University student Qin Xiaoli.
"You are?" Upon following Qin Xiaoli out and seeing Fang Yuan, Master Meng Yu was bewildered, feeling even more convinced that she didn't know this young student.
"Master Meng, I am a student from Demon Capital University, Fang Yuan..." Fang Yuan said with a respectful tone, introducing himself.
Right after, Fang Yuan made his request to challenge Master Meng Yu with his Ring Bear!
After Fang Yuan finished speaking, Qin Xiaoli and her boyfriend Zhang Huai stood there stunned.
Didn't you say you were a friend of Li Shu?
Why are you now a student from Magic University, and moreover, looking to challenge her?!
Master Meng was momentarily dazed by Fang Yuan; a Magic University student was challenging her?
The next second, Zhang Huai's face darkened as he said angrily, "What do you mean by this!"
Zhang Huai almost thought Fang Yuan was here to start trouble.
"Let it be."
Master Meng waved a hand, signaling Zhang Huai to be a bit more polite. She looked at Fang Yuan and asked, "Are you a student from Magic City University participating in the national competition?"
Fang Yuan nodded and said, "Yes, I hope Master Meng will give me a chance, not necessarily right now, any other time would also work, and the timing, that I'll leave up to you."
At this moment, Fang Yuan recalled Xiaozhi from the animation, who was defeated several times while challenging the Four Heavenly Kings... Facing a Master Level Trainer, Monferno shouldn't be so disastrously beaten, right?
Master Meng stared at Fang Yuan and noticed his seriousness. She fell silent for a moment, a university student around twenty years old — he was seriously issuing a challenge to her?
After a while, Master Meng glanced at the time and said, "As you wish, let's go to the nearby battle arena."
As soon as Meng Yu spoke, a thrill of surprise ran through Fang Yuan. That was easier than he'd expected! He had thought he'd have to face several rejections and look for multiple masters to battle.
What a display of a master's demeanor.
Now that Meng Yu had agreed, both Zhang Huai and Qin Xiaoli were dumbfounded; Dean Meng had actually agreed to battle with this mysterious student...
...
At the Hangzhou University player village's battle arena, there were other three Hangzhou University competitors taking a stroll on the premises. When they saw Master Meng Yu, Fang Yuan, and the other two arriving, they immediately went to greet them.
After Qin Xiaoli explained, the trio began to look at Fang Yuan with unfriendly eyes; as a player from Magic City University, Fang Yuan was essentially the next opponent!
And yet, this very opponent had come to challenge their lead master... This was too much.
And to top it off, Master Meng had agreed... Now all they wanted was to see Fang Yuan get crushed.
Arriving at the battle arena, Fang Yuan walked straight to the opposite side. Eevee jumped down from his shoulder and stood beside, watching the match.
Looking at Master Meng on the opposite side, Fang Yuan took a deep breath and said,
"It's time to take the heat, Monferno."
Swish!
As soon as Monferno came out of the Poké Ball, it lost the composure it had during the professional assessment.
Heeding Fang Yuan's warning, it immediately bared its teeth in frustration.
Damn it, even Monferno knew the next few fights were going to be tough; its upcoming opponents were all main forces of Master Trainers.
But, for the sake of unlocking Thunder Armor Completion, Monferno couldn't care less.
One must endure hardship to make progress.
Fight!
Monferno stared down Master Meng Yu on the other side.
"This Monferno doesn't seem very bright," Master Meng Yu extended her finger and gently slid it over her own Poké Ball.
"Ring Bear, since someone has come specifically to challenge you, come out and get some exercise."
"Roar!!!"
The next second, a nearly two-meter-tall brown bear appeared in the arena. With a roar, the air vibrated.